Marry, well rememb'red. I reason'd with a Frenchman yesterday, Who told me, in the narrow seas that part The French and English, there miscarried A vessel of our country richly fraught. I thought upon Antonio when he told me; And wish'd in silence that it were not his. Salan. You were best to tell Antonio what you hear;

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Yet do not suddenly, for it may grieve him. Salar. A kinder gentleman treads not the earth.

I saw Bassanio and Antonio part;

Bassanio told him he would make some speed
Of his return; he answer'd, "Do not so;
Stubber not business for my sake, Bassanio,
But stay the very riping of the time;
And for the Jew's bond which he hath of me,
Let it not enter in your mind of love.

Be merry, and employ your chiefest thoughts
To courtship and such fair ostents of love

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[SCENE IX. Belmont. A room in Portia's house.]

Enter NERISSA with a Servitor.

Ner. Quick, quick, I pray thee; draw the curtain straight.

The Prince of Arragon hath ta'en his oath,
And comes to his election presently.

Flourish of cornets. Enter the PRINCE OF ARRA
GON, PORTIA, and their trains.

Por. Behold, there stand the caskets, noble Prince.

If you choose that wherein I am contain'd, Straight shall our nuptial rites be solemniz'd; But if you fail, without more speech, my lord, You must be gone from hence immediately.

Ar. I am enjoin'd by oath to observe thre things:

First, never to unfold to any one
Which casket 't was I chose; next, if I fail
Of the right casket, never in my life
To woo a maid in way of marriage;
Lastly,

If I do fail in fortune of my choice,
Immediately to leave you and be gone.

Por. To these injunctions every one dot

swear

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By the fool multitude, that choose by show. Not learning more than the fond eye do teach;

Which pries' not to the interior, but, like t martlet,

Builds in the weather on the outward wall, Even in the force and road of casualty.

I will not choose what many men desire, Because I will not jump with common spirits And rank me with the barbarous multitudes Why, then to thee, thou silver treasure-house Tell me once more what title thou dost bear: Who chooseth me shall get as much as he d

serves;

0, that estates, degrees, and offices Were not deriv'd corruptly, and that clear honour

Were purchas'd by the merit of the wearer! How many then should cover that stand bare!

How many be commanded that command!

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How much low peasantry would then be glean'd From the true seed of honour! and how much bonour

Fick'd from the chaff and ruin of the times

To be new-varnish'd! Well, but to my choice: "Who chooseth me shall get as much as he deserves."

I will assume desert. Give me a key for this, 51 And instantly unlock my fortunes here.

[He opens the silver casket.]

Pr. Too long a pause for that which you find there.

4r. What's here? The portrait of a blinking idiot,

Presenting me a schedule! I will read it.
Hmneh unlike art thou to Portia !

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How much unlike my hopes and my deservings! Who chooseth me shall have as much as he deserves."

Did I deserve no more than a fool's head?
Is that my prize? Are my deserts no better? 60
P. To offend and judge are distinct offices
And of opposed natures.

Ar

What is here?

Reads. The fire seven times tried this;
Seven times tried that judgement is,
That did never choose amiss.
Some there be that shadows kiss,
Such have but a shadow's bliss.

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[Exeunt Arragon and train.] Per. Thus hath the candle sing'd the moth. these deliberate fools! When they do choose,

y have the wisdom by their wit to lose. e. The ancient saying is no heresy, azing and wiving goes by destiny.

Per. Come, draw the curtain, Nerissa.

Enter a MESSENGER.

Me, Where is my lady?

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Here; what would my lord? 85 V. Madam, there is alighted at your gate Venetian, one that comes before

Por. No more, I pray thee. I am half afeard Thou wilt say anon he is some kin to thee, Thou spend'st such high-day wit in praising him.

Come, come, Nerissa, for I long to see
Quick Cupid's post that comes so mannerly. 100
Ner. Bassanio, lord Love, if thy will it be!
[Exeunt.

ACT III

[SCENE I. Venice. A street.]

Enter SALANIO and SALARINO.

Salan. Now, what news on the Rialto? Salar. Why, yet it lives there uncheck'd that Antonio hath a ship of rich lading wreck'd on the narrow seas; the Goodwins, I think they call the place; a very dangerous flat, and fatal, where the carcases of many a tall ship lie [5 buried, as they say, if my gossip Report be an honest woman of her word.

Salan. I would she were as lying a gossip in that as ever knapp'd ginger or made her [10 neighbours believe she wept for the death of a third husband. But it is true, without any slips of prolixity or crossing the plain highway of talk, that the good Antonio, the honest Antonio, O that I had a title good enough to keep his name company!

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Salar. Come, the full stop. Salan. Ha! what sayest thou? Why, the end is, he hath lost a ship.

Salar. I would it might prove the end of his losses.

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flesh and hers than between jet and ivory; more between your bloods than there is between red wine and rhenish. But tell us, do you hear whether Antonio have had any loss at sea or no ?

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Shy. There I have another bad match. A bankrupt, a prodigal, who dare scarce show his head on the Rialto; a beggar, that was us'd to come so smug upon the mart; let him look to his bond. He was wont to call me usurer; let him look to his bond. He was wont to lend [s0 money for a Christian courtesy ; let him look to his bond.

Salar. Why, I am sure, if he forfeit, thou wilt not take his flesh. What's that good for?

Shy. To bait fish withal. If it will feed nothing else, it will feed my revenge. He hath [55 disgrac'd me, and hind'red me half a million; laugh'd at my losses, mock'd at my gains, scorned my nation, thwarted my bargains,cooled my friends, heated mine enemies; and what's his reason? I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? [60 Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions; fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and [es summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you [70 in that. If a Jew wrong a Christian, what his humility? Revenge. If a Christian wrong a Jew, what should his sufferance be by Christian example? Why, revenge. The villainy you teach me, I will execute, and it shall go hard but I will better the instruction.

Enter a [SERVANT].

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Shy. Why, there, there, there, there! A diamond gone, cost me two thousand ducats in Frankfort! The curse never fell upon our nation till now. I never felt it till now. Two thousand ducats in that; and other precious, [20 precious jewels. I would my daughter were dead at my foot, and the jewels in her ear! Would she were hears'd at my foot, and the ducats in her coffin! No news of them? Why so? And I know not what 's spent in the [95 search. Why, thou loss upon loss! the thief gone with so much, and so much to find the

thief; and no satisfaction, no revenge, nor n ill luck stirring but what lights on my shoul ders, no sighs but of my breathing, no tear but of my shedding.

Tub. Yes, other men have ill luck too. An tonio, as I heard in Genoa,

Shy. What, what, what? Ill luck, ill luck Tub. Hath an argosy cast away, coming from Tripolis.

Shy. I thank God, I thank God. Is 't true is 't true?

Tub. I spoke with some of the sailors tha escaped the wreck.

Shy. I thank thee, good Tubal; good news good news! Ha, ha! Here in Genoa!

Tub. Your daughter spent in Genoa, as heard, in one night fourscore ducats.

Shy. Thou stick'st a dagger in me. I shall never see my gold again. Fourscore ducats at sitting! Fourscore ducats!

Tub. There came divers of Antonio's cred itors in my company to Venice, that swear h cannot choose but break.

Shy. I am very glad of it. I'll plague him I'll torture him. I am glad of it.

Tub. One of them showed me a ring that h had of your daughter for a monkey.

Shy. Out upon her! Thou torturest me, [ Tubal. It was my turquoise; I had it of Lea when I was a bachelor. I would not have give it for a wilderness of monkeys.

Tub. But Antonio is certainly undone.

Shy. Nay, that's true, that's very true. [ Go, Tubal, fee me an officer; bespeak him fortnight before. I will have the heart of him if he forfeit; for, were he out of Venice, I ca make what merchandise I will. Go, go, Tuba and meet me at our synagogue; go, good Tuba at our synagogue, Tubal. [Exeunt.

[SCENE II. Belmont. A room in Portia house.]

Enter BASSANIO, PORTIA, GRATIANO, N RISSA,] and all their train.

Por. I p pray you, tarry. Pause a day or tw
Before you hazard; for, in choosing wrong,
I lose your company; therefore forbear awhil
There's something tells me, but it is not love
I would not lose you; and you know yourself
Hate counsels not in such a quality.

But lest you should not understand me well,-
And yet a maiden hath no tongue but thought,
I would detain you here some month or two
Before you venture for me. I could teach you
How to choose right, but then I am forsworn
So will I never be; so may you miss me;
But if you do, you'll make me wish a sin,
That I had been forsworn. Beshrew your ey
They have o'erlook'd me and divided me ;
One half of me is yours, the other half yours
Mine own, I would say; but if mine, th

The continent and summary of my fortune.
[Reads.] You that choose not by the view,
Chance as fair and choose as true!
Since this fortune falls to you,
Be content and seek no new.
If you be well pleas'd with this
And hold your fortune for your bliss,
Turn you where your lady is

And claim her with a loving kiss."

A gentle scroll. Fair lady, by your leave;
I come by note, to give and to receive.
Like one of two contending in a prize,

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140

That thinks he hath done well in people's

More rich;

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159

That only to stand high in your account,
I might in virtues, beauties, livings, friends,
Exceed account. But the full sum of me
Is sum of something, which, to term in gross,
Is an unlesson'd girl, unschool'd, unpractis'd;
Happy in this, she is not yet so old
But she may learn; happier than this,
She is not bred so dull but she can learn ;
Happiest of all is that her gentle spirit
Commits itself to yours to be directed,
As from her lord, her governor, her king.
Myself and what is mine to you and yours
Is now converted. But now I was the lord
Of this fair mansion, master of my servants, 170
Queen o'er myself; and even now, but now,
This house, these servants, and this same my-
self

165

Are yours, my lord; I give them with this

Ner. My lord and lady, it is now our time, That have stood by and seen our wishes prosper, To cry good joy. Good joy, my lord and lady!

150

Gra. My Lord Bassanio and my gentle lady, I wish you all the joy that you can wish, For I am sure you can wish none from me; And when your honours mean to solemnize The bargain of your faith, I do beseech you, 195 Even at that time I may be married too.

Bass. With all my heart, so thou canst get a wife.

Gra. I thank your lordship, you have got me

one.

My eyes, my lord, can look as swift as yours.
You saw the mistress, I beheld the maid;
You lov'd, I lov'd; for intermission
No more pertains to me, my lord, than you.
Your fortune stood upon the casket there,
And so did mine too, as the matter falls;
For, wooing here until I sweat again,
And swearing till my very roof was dry
With oaths of love, at last, if promise last,
I got a promise of this fair one here

2:00

To have her love, provided that your for

tune

Achiev'd her mistress.

Bass. And do you, Gratiano, mean good faith?

Gra. Yes, faith, my lord.

Bass. Our feast shall be much honour'd in your marriage.

Gra. We'll play with them the first boy for a thousand ducats.

Ner. What, and stake down?

Gra. No; we shall ne'er win at that spor and stake down.

But who comes here? Lorenzo and his infideli What, and my old Venetian friend Salerio? Enter LORENZO, JESSICA, and SALERIO, a mes senger from Venice.

Bass. Lorenzo and Salerio, welcome hither.
If that the youth of my new interest here
Have power to bid you welcome. By you
leave,

I bid my very friends and countrymen,
Sweet Portia, welcome.

They are entirely welcome.

==

Lor. I thank your honour. For my part, m lord,

My purpose was not to have seen you here;
But meeting with Salerio by the way,

He did intreat me, past all saying nay,
To come with him along.

Saler.
I did, my lord;
And I have reason for it. Signior Antonio
Commends him to you.

Bass.

[Gives Bassanio a letter Ere I ope his letter,

I pray you, tell me how my good friend doth Saler. Not sick, my lord, unless it be

mind,